


Beast Of Burden

by fishlady



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Choking, Competition, F/M, Face Slapping, Force Choking, Force Use, Guaranteed - No pregnancy, I'm Bad At Tagging, Inappropriate Use of the Force, Multiple Partners, Not tagging sex stuff until it is posted, OC is not force sensitive, Partially located on Jakku but no Rey, Pining, Power Play, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-19
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-09 17:24:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7810702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishlady/pseuds/fishlady
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lithou Samuul is an engineer who excels in the illegal creation of lightsabers using synthetic kyber crystals. One day, she finds her career in an interesting position with a particularly difficult client.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Anonymity

It was an ordinary hot day on the dessert planet of Jakku. The burning sands radiated heat onto every surface of the planet, save for the dome built by one of the most talented inhabitants on the planet. 

Hidden in the middle of the endless desert, the dome was wired using strange technology salvaged from crash sights. Somehow the dome had fans and lights, enabling the owner to work and tinker.

Tinkering is what Lithou Samuul did best. Huddled over her table, her dark black waves wrapped into two buns on the top of her head, she focused on the metal in her hands. It was yet another lightsaber handle. It required some more tweaking before it was to her liking. 

Placing the handle in a vice grip, she wheeled the chair she sat on ten feet away from the saber. She grabbed a pair of handles to manipulate a mechanism that looked much like two pinchers. Using these, she was able to test the weapon for the first time. Sure enough, the saber cracked to life. A green glow filled her room and she smiled. 

Although never unsuccessful, making synthetic kyber crystal lightsabers was a process that Lithou never skipped steps on. No matter how confident she was in her skills, she knew that the first time she turned it on, she didn’t want to be anywhere near it. 

Nobody yielded such profits in making synthetic sabers like her. She had a steady business on the planet in the Unknown Region. Being close to Ilum, the legitimate source to harvest genuine kyber crystals, it was the prime spot for miscreants to come and order a bootleg saber. 

Learning to manipulate synthetic crystals was a process that Lithou knew she could turn a profit on. When she found herself on Jakku, she knew it was the perfect place to stay hidden. The roaring dust storms in the desert and the blazing suns made it equally as treacherous to reach as the snow planet of Ilum. It provided a natural barrier to protect her less-than-legal business. 

Being that the synthetic crystals were often unstable, creating sabers with them was banned from the star systems. That didn’t stop people from trying and coincidentally dying from explosions. And that didn’t stop the market for them either. From what Lithou knew, she was the only legitimate synthetic saber engineer.

After the saber had been buzzing for ten minutes without interruption, it was considered stable. The woman wheeled over and grabbed the saber from the vice grip. She toyed with it, watching the green illuminate her home. She smiled at the blade and turned it off. 

Sabers, ironically, were not her weapon of choice. When it came to defending herself, she preferred blaster guns. She had received sufficient training with them. While her standard issue blasters were modified to her liking, they remained her trusted weapons. 

The saber was returned to the delivery case and hidden out of sight. Lithou sat back in her chair, taking a sip of the keela brought to her by one of her synthetic crystal farmers. As the alcohol slid down her throat, she heard a strange noise over the loud blaring of her contraband music. She turned down the Hakko Drazlip and the Tootle Froots recording she coveted with the toe of her boot. 

Sure enough, the distinct sound of a foreign repulsorlift rang through the desert. She removed her hair from her buns, letting the dark waves fall down her back before pulling her hood over her hair. She untied her bandana from her wrist before she tied it around her face. The fabric disguised her mouth and nose.

While she was proud of her successful business, she preferred the anonymity. She had traders that would visit her home to sell her goods in exchange for fixed machinery or a cut in a synthetic saber sale. Being that she didn’t have a scheduled visit that evening, she was cautious. Her trade was constantly under attack from people wanting to steal the synthetic crystals. She had not been found by the government yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time. 

She only kept a small stash of crystals on her at a time so that she wouldn’t be at a high risk. They were scattered throughout her dome behind hidden panels. She quickly climbed up her ladder in the corner of her dome to overlook out her window. The sandcraft that was approaching her dome was not familiar to her. Her eyebrow cocked in confusion, yet she chuckled. She pulled on a pair of goggles to conceal her identity further.

“Not the way I expected to spend my day.” she mumbled to herself. She grabbed the outside poles of the ladder, sliding down with ease. Her blasters from the table were quickly snatched and hidden in her waistband before sitting down on her work table. 

The main area under the spotlight was spotless, but the sides in the darkness were riddled with assorted wrenches and tools. She fiddled with a wrench as she heard a knock on the door. The security system beeped until she nudged a button with her elbow, which unlatched the door.

Looking up towards the entryway, she watched as an unfamiliar Rakatan pirate entered her space. She watched as they surveyed her with their eyes on the side of their head. Her eyes studied them as they entered, followed by two humans. She could feel the tension between the group. 

Although the Rakata were an amphibian species, she could swear that she saw sweat rolling down the broad side of their face. Her eyes narrowed as one of the humans dropped a canteen. The metal clattered on the cement floor. 

“We… we heard that you can be trusted.” the Rakatan stuttered. Their long fingers were balled into fists by their sides. Lithou gave her customers code phrases to give to their interested allies. That was not one of them. 

She turned to them, humoring the collection of people in her doorway. It was obvious that something suspicious was going to happen and she wanted to see just how long it would take.

“I can.” she replied. She eyed her abandoned glass of keela, wishing she could take a drink. 

“Th… I need a saber completed by tomorrow.” they requested. Lithou’s face whipped towards the bodies huddled in her doorway. One day was awfully sudden for saber turn-around. She was usually given half of a standard month to construct and complete a saber. 

“Alright.” Lithou replied. She kept her answers vague. It was important to have ambiguous answers so that she could spin the responses as something else if she was being recorded by government. With her basic transactions, this fear wasn’t as strong, but she could feel something was up with the way these customers were acting. Her gloves tightened around the wrench in her hand.

She stared at the Rakatan in front of her, waiting for a response. With a standard sale, this would be where a customer would offer a synthetic crystal or decide to purchase one through her. It was proper procedure that was instructed from customer to customer. 

Even if they didn’t know how to successfully complete their first transaction, customers would ask about the source of a crystal. The complete lack of this step was odd.

It was particularly strange that there were no modifications for the saber. There were certain specifications needed, depending on the owner of the saber. Were they left handed? How many fingers did they have? What temperature was the planet they most resided in? How strong was their grip strength? Before Lithou could even question why they left these important details out, the band in the door was turning to leave.

“We will return tomorrow.” the pirate said. Lithou sarcastically saluted with the gloved hand that held the wrench. The group exited, but not before the human dropped the canteen on the ground another time. The latch sensed the bodies leaving the room and closed immediately. 

Lithou pushed her goggles off her eyes, rubbing at her face where the rubber pressed on her face. It knocked off her hood and rested on her coal colored curls.

The image of the group of people in her dome was burned into her mind. She reached for the glass of keela in front of her. She took a deep sip, mulling over her options. She could make a saber, using some of the extra crystals that she had around. Since the instructions were little to none, she could use spare parts and construct a relatively small, simple saber. 

Or, she could just defend her dome if something were to happen. She had multiple traps set up around her land. If something went wrong, she could get herself out of a bad situation. She was an accurate shot and wasn’t a stranger to defending herself or her ex-comrades.

From her peripheral vision, she could see her box of spare parts. She knew there was plenty in there to whip up a proper saber. It would be a long night, but she could complete the task in time. 

Before she stood, she downed her glass of keela. She stretched, hearing her back crack like the spine of a book. Her arms fanned out like pages, before she swung them together, popping her neck. 

“Well, let’s get this party started,” she exclaimed to herself as she pulled her glove on tighter. 

 

Normally, Lithou woke up with the sun. It came pouring through the skylight panel of her dome at an alarming brightness. Normally, that is. The night before, she worked until her eyes gave out. She woke up drooling on her work bench, the sound of a wrench falling off the table snapping her eyes to life. 

With a gasp, she sat up, running a hand through her wild mane of hair. Her body was smeared with oil and sweat, but it was not in vain. The completed saber sat in front of her as she yawned, catching a whiff of the musky smell that surrounded her.

She knew she had to wash herself, but she was running particularly low on water. The saber she had completed before her awkward encounter was for a moisture farmer who had promised her an excessive amount of water. 

The perks of an illegal trade meant that payment was never really discussed between customers. Lithou generally was overpaid for her services. Being in the middle of the dessert, she had no place to turn down anything given her way, especially water. 

Rag baths were not her favorite, but she had become accustomed to them over the years. She felt much like a cheap whore, lathering a damp rag with soap to cover her body and clean her intimate areas. She watched the soap drag across her hairy, fawn skin. 

Shaving was a luxury that she never felt like she could or wanted to indulge in. She actually didn’t mind the hair that covered her body. Drying herself off, she heard the familiar hum of a repulsorlift in the distance. 

She was given barely enough time to wrap herself in a robe before the craft stopped in front of her dome. The sandcraft was much faster than the one that approached her the day before. 

The robe was hastily tied around her waist as the hatch of her dome was opened without her permission. The dome could only be opened with her permission. Startled, she backed herself against a table where her blaster was behind her. 

In the doorway, the Rakatan pirate reentered. They looked more nervous than before, if possible. Their eyes searched from side to side in panic. Lithou felt as though she was being watched. 

She didn’t know where the pirate’s gang went and how they were riding a more advanced craft. It sounded like it was a First Order commission. Either the Rakatan was a really good pirate, or something was extremely sketchy. Regret from accepting this challenge immediately washed over her.

“Is it complete?” they asked frantically. Lithou slowly nodded, leaning back and placing her hand on the trigger of her blaster. Her eyes flickered to one of her panic buttons that would trigger a series of mines in the sand around her dome. It was five paces away from her. The Rakatan looked outside to where Lithou assumed the craft was parked. They nodded furiously to whomever was piloting the craft.

It was only a split second before a red saber crackled to life outside of her dome, slicing the Rakatan to steaming pieces. It was, however, enough of an alert to make Lithou spring into action, deciding to go for the panic button. Her long legs had extended two paces before they were lifted off the ground with a crushing invisible hand around her throat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy. I'm gonna try and update as soon as possible. School's starting soon so I have to set up a good schedule but I thought I would put this out and see what everyone thought
> 
> Any comments and feedback are appreciated! 
> 
> PS - Her name is pronounced lie-thoo sam-ool


	2. Insolence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: choking, embarrassment

There was a white hot, dry feeling at Lithou’s neck. It felt like she was being choked, but that would only be possible if there was a body in front of her… right? 

Thick lashes that protected her doe eyes struggled to block the glare from the beating sun on Jakku that shone through the entryway. She saw a tall black figure slowly enter her room, arm outstretched. The latch door slammed shut behind them.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust from the sun to the dark foyer of her home. If she could, she would have pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes until she saw galaxies. She would have liked to believe that anyone other than Kylo Ren was in her dome and she prayed that her eyes were deceiving her.

The invisible hand around her throat cutting her air supply suddenly made sense. Of all the stories that she heard about Kylo Ren, the most famous ones were of his Force sensitivities. He could not only possess bodies to do as he willed, but he could infiltrate thoughts.

“My reputation precedes me.” he modulator in his helmet buzzed. Lithou felt her heart beat in her throat. She was terrified, yet a devious smirk stretched across her straight teeth. Her mouth opened to respond, but the weight on her trachea made it impossible for her to make a sound. The Commander must have noticed that, as the strength around her throat loosened.

“Kylo Ren,” she began. “I had hoped that you would take me out to dinner first before choking me.” Unfortunately for her, the cloaked man didn’t have the same sense of humor. Her lungs deflated as the grip tightened, crushing her windpipe smaller than before. 

“Humor is unwise to your current predicament.” was his response. Lithou nodded slowly, still glad that she said it. While it was true that choking was something she particularly enjoyed with a consensual partner, that was not something that Kylo Ren needed to know. A deep sigh emitted from the modulator. “And yet, I now obtain that knowledge.” 

As her feet dangled in front of Kylo Ren, Lithou thought silence was the best option. Not only her mouth needed to stay quiet, but she needed to keep her brain from being active as well. That was particularly hard, being that she naturally was a smart mouth. 

The persona she used when she sold sabers was quiet, reserved, and businesslike. She had to be, in order to be careful and secretive. When she was dangling in a bathrobe from Kylo Ren’s forcechoke, however, she knew her options were slim to none. He must have found out that she… 

Lithou fought hard to stop her brain in her tracks. She began to think about something else, anything else. She resorted to listing the Teedospeak alphabet on a loop in her head. This seemed to frustrate the commander, who dropped his grip around her neck. 

Down her body went, like a toolbag with too much weight dropping to the floor. Her limbs smashed to the ground with a grunt. The first thing she did was cough her lungs out as they adjusted to the oxygen coursing through them. Then, her hands went to her body, making sure she wasn’t exposing herself to the First Order’s commander. 

“What do you want?” she muttered. Her hand went to her throat, pawing at the bruising that was no doubt forming. The black form approached her, towering above her. Lithou prided herself in not being scared of much. She considered herself to be scrappy and not backing down from a fight. But gods, was she terrified. 

Through all of her training, she knew that being strong didn’t mean not being scared. It meant never backing down and pushing through the fear. This was a practice she could usually follow, however, Lithou usually didn’t get herself into a position where she was absolutely helpless. 

She always had her blasters to defend her, but considering the large man who was threatening her had the ability to read her thoughts, there was no way that she could whip a blaster out and successfully wound him.

Although silent, she was sure she could hear the figure in front of her grin behind his mask. Nobody was sure what Kylo Ren looked like. While it was perceived that he was human, that was all speculation. If he was human, he lost his humanity long ago. He ravaged the star systems in the name of the First Order. 

“Not so confident now.” he observed. Lithou never felt smaller as he stood above her. She wasn’t sure what to say, so she just stared at him until he answered her question. “I require an engineer.”

A silence fell over the room and for a while, she just stared at the faceless helmet in front of her. Lithou felt her lungs stop breathing for a minute before she shook her head, hoping the cloud in her brain would fly out of her ears.

“Wait… what?” spewed out of her mouth without thinking. Eloquence and humility were to be used when referencing the Commander of the First Order, particularly if a citizen valued their life. Lithou seemed to forget this completely. 

“I require a personal engineer for Starkiller Base.” Kylo repeated. “I have heard of your talents. You could improve working for the First Order.” 

Lithou swallowed hard, flattered that her talents had impressed such an imposing leader, although on the wrong side. “No offense, but I don’t really understand. I make-“ 

“I know what you make.” he interrupted, taking another step towards her to further dwarf her size. While her knees were knocking together in fear, she hoped it wouldn’t show. She wanted to be strong even through the fear. “Your talents are needed.” 

Generally, when someone offered Lithou a job, she was given time to think about it. There were many things to consider, like safety, time frame, and crystal availability. She doubted that she had the same amount of time frame in her current situation.

She frequently turned down saber requests if she knew the person seemed unreliable or if she didn’t want her name associated with a certain person. Such a high profile organization like the First Order would look interesting in her repertoire. 

That begged the question, what did the First Order want with her? Did they intend on outfitting their troopers with lightsabers? Certainly the dullards would cut their own limbs off before they could fight an enemy. 

“I make synthetic kyber crystal lightsabers. What could you possibly need with me?” she asked. “I break several of your laws every day.” 

The figure in front of her simply stared back. Or, what she assumed was staring back. She couldn’t see his face or know if he even had eyes. 

“I _am_ looking at a difficult girl.” he replied, answering her question. He clenched his fists and the leather of his gloves crunched between his fingers. Lithou felt her cheeks flush in embarrassment and frustration from being called a girl.

“I’m difficult for wanting to know what you want me for?” she spat back. She watched as he began to raise his hand. Fearing he would choke her again, she put her hands up in defense. “Alright! Alright!”

For some reason, Kylo Ren dropped his hand. Lithou’s cleansed body was now beginning to accumulate sweat out of nerves. She wasn’t sure how to react with him. She didn’t think it was particularly ridiculous to want to know what the First Order needed with her. 

All of the spirit inside of her wished that she could turn him down immediately, but something fought that idea. There was a lingering idea to trust him, which was insane given his track record. She was surprised that she was still alive after arguing with him several times. 

“Why can’t I know what I’ll be needed for?” Lithou asked in a soft voice. Although it was demeaning, she knew it was best if she replied to him like he was a child constantly on the verge of a tantrum. Which, honestly, was the best possible way to describe trying to talk to him. 

“Clearance.” he responded through gritted teeth. She figured he probably heard her thoughts about him being a child and she probably shouldn’t have thought about him thinking about it... Arguing with a Force-user was proving to be exhausting. 

“Clearance?” she repeated, confused. 

“Until you are a member of the First Order, you do not have the clearance to obtain this information.” 

Lithou fumed, her composure melting away again. “So I’m just supposed to take a job before I know what it is.” As soon as she finished her thought, the invisible hand was around her throat again, raising her into the air. She found herself rolling her eyes, even though the pain around her throat was immense.

“Your insolence will not go unpunished.” he threatened. 

“Apparently, I’m out of jurisdiction. Do I even have the clearance to be punished?” she rasped through the chokehold before she passed out.

 

Awakening from being blacked out by the Force was much like arising from a drunken stupor. Lithou woke with her ears ringing and a pounding headache. The light was much too sensitive and it took her two minutes before she could actually open her eyes fully.

When she awoke, she was no longer in front of Kylo Ren. She was no longer in her dome. And as she looked out of the window of the room she was in, she saw that she was no longer on Jakku. Reaching for her blasters, she found that they weren’t there. 

In fact, she wasn’t even in her robe anymore. She was wearing a stiff, dark gray First Order uniform. Breaking out in a sweat, she rose to her feet, glancing around the room. She was in an empty conference room. There was a large window that spanned the expanse of a wall.

It had been a while since Lithou had been off of Jakku and seeing the beauty of the bright white stars against the dark sky gave her chills. It momentarily calmed her down from the panic of her situation. 

Underneath the sky was a frozen tundra. It was such a contrast to the hot sands of Jakku. It had been years since Lithou had left the planet and she had forgotten what it was like to feel cold. When she reached out to touch the window, the chilled glass froze her hand. She pulled away quickly.

Once she snapped back to reality, she approached the door, trying to see if she could open it. A card reader beeped when she tried to pry open the lock with her hands. She groaned in frustration, looking around the room for a clue.

This was the absolute last situation she wanted to be in. She had hoped that Kylo Ren would have let her come on her own volition. Realizing that was a ridiculous wish, she chuckled sarcastically, running a hand through her black waves. 

If only he knew how it would have helped the First Order had she come by choice. Given her background, she thought that it would have been a good idea for the image of the Order. Deciding not to think further on the idea, considering she didn’t know how far Kylo Ren’s skills spanned, she dropped the thought. 

After not finding a keycard on the desk, she tapped the uniform with the palms of her hands. Sure enough, she felt the flat rectangle of a keycard in her back pocket. Lithou took a deep sigh as she scanned the card which released the lock to the door. 

The door opened, revealing a dimly lit hallway. Stormtroopers stomped in even rows, weapons in hand. Officers typed on datapads with gloved fingers as they mumbled to each other. The hallways were cold, sterile, and orderly. 

Before Lithou had a chance to be overwhelmed, she heard footsteps approaching her. She turned, seeing a young officer approach her. He was transparently pale with dark hair. His body was trembling visibly, as if she was something to be terrified of.

“C-Commander Ren wishes to see you.” he mumbled, barely loud enough for her to hear. 

“I’m sure he does.” Lithou said as she rolled her eyes. Suddenly, a painful ringing pierced her ears, causing her to curse and grab her head. It was just short enough for her to know that it was inflicted by the Force-user. “Take me there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is out! I want to try and update once a week because I have so many ideas for this story. Plus, as a reader, consistency with updates is very satisfying. I hope I can provide that to y'all. 
> 
> Feedback is appreciated. I hope you enjoy.


	3. Untamed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: slapping, hitting

The walk was unbearably silent. While she wasn’t looking to be best friends with the young officer who was appointed as an usher, she didn’t feel particularly welcomed. She learned that his name was Dopheld Mitaka, after prying it out of him. Talking to him was proving to be as difficult and painful as pulling teeth. 

“So, Dopheld-“

“That’s Officer Mitaka.” he clarified, a confidence surging through his body. It caught Lithou off guard.

“I apologize, Officer Mitaka.” she sarcastically replied. He shot her daggers, which was soon followed by his eyebrows furrowing in fear, as if he wasn’t sure he had the authority to punish her. 

Lithou always had a problem with authority. Being undermined and bossed around wasn’t really her style, particularly because her skills often far outweighed her competitors. Even when she worked with squadrons in the past, she butt heads constantly with higher-ups. 

The thought of the scrambling officer beside her trying to impose an air of superiority was entertaining to her. While she wasn’t intimidated by the pale man beside her, she was intimidated by the person who resided behind the door she stood in front of. 

Dopheld scanned his keycard and the large door swiftly opened in almost complete silence. Lithou was impressed by the engineering of the door, familiar with very noisy air-hatches. She eyed the frame as they entered the room, hoping to notice the pressure valve release.

The construction of space craft was thoroughly difficult. Accommodations had to be made to seal off rooms for the prevention of oxygen preservation in event of an emergency. Because of this, pressure was often release when these doors opened. The engineering baffled Lithou until she made herself focus on the room in front of her. 

It was oddly enough, completely empty except for a Stormtrooper who stood guard outside the door. It was a little alarming to Lithou. It had been quite some time since she had been this close to the white armored soldiers. Except this time, the reflection of herself in their shining white uniform wasn’t the same. Her usual rebellious sand colored clothing didn’t cover her body. Instead it was a slate gray. A chill ran down her spine.

She saw the body of Dopheld approach another door to knock, but it was pried open before his trembling fist could make contact. The sweating man hopped in fear, adjusting his stiff hat. Inside, Kylo Ren stood, arm outreached, and body turned towards someone. 

Dopheld and Lithou entered the room reluctantly. She noticed that in front of Kylo Ren was another First Order member. The man was seated at a complete ninety-degree angle, prestige and honor rolling off of his sharp shoulders. His brow was furrowed in confusion at the cloaked man in front of him. 

Shock filled Lithou as she looked at the other figure. The First Order was such a dark entity in the minds of many people. When she thought of the First Order, she thought of the death, destruction, and faceless masks. She didn’t picture a handsome redhead with rosy lips. His hair was perfectly styled and not a thread seemed out of place. 

She began to feel acutely aware that the uniform she woke up in was several sizes too large for her. Her black waves were sure to be a wild mess. Had she not just been kidnapped, she could have gotten herself together more before meeting the First Order. 

“Her presence will not alter my opinion.” the redhead spoke. The accented vibrato surprised Lithou and she felt a pleasant tingle on the back of her neck. Kylo Ren whipped around to her direction, as if he felt her goosebumps on his own body. She suddenly grew embarrassed. She hated how the masked man had that effect on her. 

“Sir,” Dopheld began but Kylo Ren gestured to the door, signaling it was time for his retreat. Needing no further instruction, he left the room in a gait that was as quick as he could walk without it being defined as a run. Lithou held back a snicker, putting her hands in her stiff pockets. 

It wasn’t until the door quietly closed behind her did she realize she was again in a room with Kylo Ren. She couldn’t even take into account the addition of the redheaded stranger in the room. As if on cue, he rose, striding over to her with his hands clasped behind his back.

Hope was diminished at comfortability with the new man when he arrived in front of her. He, too, stood over six feet tall. His eyes were a vibrant blue that shocked Lithou like a bolt of lightning. Her apprehension reflected in the crystal balls before her. 

There was immense pressure placed on Lithou’s chest. She wasn’t sure whether she should speak first or wait until she was addressed. Everything inside of her screamed to make a witty remark, but something held her back. 

An inkling to respect the man in front of her blocked her will to be a smart-ass. Something about the way he carried himself was mature and commanding. She stared back into his piercing eyes. 

“State your name.” the voice in front of her snapped her head to attention. Something about his voice made her want to divulge the information immediately. Her better judgment clamped her lips shut, her dimple no doubt denting her cheek at the action.

The man in front of her stiffened, as if that was even possible. He looked as solid as a durasteel wall, yet he seemed like he could tense up even more. He repeated what he had originally commanded. Again, she wished to share her name. If not to appease him, but to hear him potentially say her name in his composed tone. 

Lithou pinched herself through her pocket. There was something oddly alluring about this man. She made herself get back to reality and truly focus on why she was there. She was kidnapped. She was an outlaw. She was-

“Lithou Samuul,” the cloaked man behind her modulated. She cursed under her breath, forgetting completely that the man behind her was there. He must have sorted through her thoughts like a filing cabinet and came up with the answer.

“A pathetic name.” was the response from the man in front of her. That certainly snapped her out of her reverie. 

“Fuck you!” she spat out. The redhead in front of her cocked his eyebrow. Her boldness must have shocked him because he seemed unable to do anything for a full beat. Being able to catch him off guard made Lithou smirk, but distracted her as well. She wasn’t able to block the solid smack that slammed across her cheek. 

A gasp muttered out of her mouth as she dejectedly reached up to hold the reddening skin. He wiped his leather glove off on her shirt shoulder as if she was made of dirt. Enraged, she pushed his hand off of her forcefully with her shoulder. A growl left her throat and she launched towards him, her fingers snatching onto his uniform. Before she could land a return hit on him, she was pulled from him and pinned in a chair by invisible ropes. 

The composed man before her straightened out his uniform, swiping the non-tainted hand through his hair. It readjusted the stray hair that had fallen in the altercation. She couldn’t help but notice Kylo Ren’s stance was relaxed, almost like he was entertained at her outburst. 

Lithou tried to lash against the binds in front of her, but it was useless. It was almost as if her muscles were all being controlled like a marionette. She couldn’t even open her mouth without Kylo Ren’s permission. It was completely demeaning. The redhead walked back to his desk, sitting behind it in silence. Eventually, he spoke deliberately and succinctly. 

“She is wild and untamed. She has no business with the First Order.” 

For some reason, the words cut Lithou deep. She wanted to argue back and make her case, but the Force hold on her mouth kept her from being able to communicate. Helplessness paralyzed her and she was frustrated with the two men in front of her. The First Order wasn’t supposed to be nice, but they weren’t allowing her to prove herself. 

“I have business with her.” Kylo Ren replied. Her head spun to the Commander in confusion. What business could he possibly have with her? For all he knew, she was just an artificial crystal lightsaber engineer. She had no skill that he would need. Her specialties included interacting with shady people, creating illegal weapons, and hiding out on a planet that she was exiled on. As her mind wandered, her eyes fixated on the dormant lightsaber on his belt. The cogs in her brain finally started to turn. 

“What business?” the redhead coaxed, opening his datapad in dismissive boredom. Lithou was just as curious as him. She had an idea, but she wanted him to say it. She wanted to hear Commander Ren of the First Order say that he needed someone’s help, especially hers. His gloved hand reached to his lightsaber, which he slammed on the desk in front of the redhead. He seemed infuriated that the handle might injure his pristine desk top, yet he looked to Ren for explanation. 

“Supreme Leader would be disappointed to hear his Commander could not perform his duties because of an unstable saber.” he replied. “I suggest you mind your own assignments, General Hux.” 

If Lithou could smile, she would have. The saber that so many citizens had nightmares of was terrifying because of its red glow and jagged edges. She should have known that it could have potentially been unstable. Her mouth watered at the thought of being able to take apart or reconstruct the feared saber.

The redhead, General Hux, she presumed, grunted in disappointment at his outburst. It wasn’t until her jaw dropped did she realize the Force-hold on her mouth had ceased. Kylo Ren, terror of the galaxies, wanted her to work on his lightsaber. Surely, there were more qualified and dignified saber engineers he could work with. Her confidence shot through the roof.

“She serves no purpose other than occasional lightsaber work.” General Hux countered. 

“I am proficient in other weapon engineering.” Lithou spoke up, softly. She wasn’t sure that the two men could hear her until they turned to face her. “I have… prior experience with blasters and basic knowledge of repulsorlift repairs.” 

Her calm tone caused Ren to lift the hold he had on her body. The freedom gave her goosebumps and she stood, not wanting to be lower than them. Well, she was still at least half a foot shorter than each of them, but it was less of a harsh contrast. 

As she adjusted her uniform, her head spun. Did she really just defend why she would be a good candidate for the First Order? Days before, she would have rather eat a diplopod than be anywhere near a member of the First Order. They destroyed her business and were her sworn enemy for longer than the two men in front of her knew. 

The two men surveyed her body, as if they were determining if she was telling the truth or not. She felt exposed, but stood with her shoulders back. She wasn’t lying and she was confident in her skills. Not wanting Kylo Ren to search her mind, she began to name the planets in order from closest to farthest from Jakku. 

“She is staying.” Kylo Ren affirmed, collecting his saber before walking to the door. He made his exit noisily, forcing the hatch open with the Force. It slammed loudly shut behind him, causing Lithou to jump. Her hands reached to her waistband on instinct, but her blasters were nowhere to be found.

General Hux in front of her sighed. He gestured to his desk, where she approached. When she got close to him, she couldn’t help but notice he smelled enticing. The scent emitted off him had hints of annisa and mint. Embarrassment covered her cheeks. She was sure that she couldn’t smell particularly great. Maybe working for the enemy wouldn’t be that bad. If nothing else, she was excited to be able to bathe in a refresher with no worry of water conservation. 

Her hygiene didn't seem to matter to the General in front of her. Or perhaps it did. His general distaste for her was hard to sort through. She wasn't sure if it was because Commander Ren wanted something and he wanted to clash with him, or he had something against her. His gloved fingers tapped on his datapad with precision, pulling up a screen, which was angled to face Lithou.

“Give me your hand.” he commanded. He seemed annoyed with her presence but she couldn’t help but question him.

“Why?” she asked. He rolled his eyes, snatching her wrist with his leather hand. His strong fingers dug into her vein with malice. “Hey-”

“You will learn to speak when addressed.” He pressed the palm of her hand against the cool screen and it scanned her palm print. She retracted her hand from him vigorously in panic, but it had already processed the data. “Careful, Samuul or you might seem suspicious.” 

Her name exiting his lips was electrifying. It sounded like a threat, but it rolled off his tongue so eloquently. It was a minor distraction from the trepidation that Lithou felt. Not only was the gravity of her decision weighing on her, she just worried about what processing the palm print was going to go through. 

Hux rattled off a room number that she had to find on her own way around the colossal Starkiller Base. Waiting in her new bedroom was a datapad and uniforms that unlike the one she was currently wearing “wouldn’t embarrass the dignity of the First Order”. She rolled her eyes at his comment and was glad that a Stormtrooper came to exit her out before the redhead could react.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay! I was having a bit of trouble with where I wanted this chapter to go, so I wanted to take my time and make it something I would be proud for you to read. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Our General Hux has made his first appearance!
> 
> Thank you for all of the lovely comments I have received along the way. Let me know what you think.


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